Tongue adjustment.



-L. E. WATERMAN.

TONGUE ADJUSTMENT.

APPLICATION mm JAN. 10, 1914.

1,186,631. Patented June 13, 1916.-

Iii 2295565: I Wafer:

WM @fym UNITED STATES PATENT UFFTQE.

LEWIS E. WATERMAN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EMERSON-BRANTING-HAM COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TONGUE ADJUSTMENT.

Application filed January 10, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs E. WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of lVinnebago and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue Adjustments, of which 'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue adjustments such as are adapted for use with agri cultural implements hitched in an offset train to a traction engine, the adjustment of the tongue being for the purpose of steering the implement relatively to the line of draft.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved means for adjusting or swinging of the tongue of an agricultural implement laterally relatively to the frame of the implement.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan view of a mowing machine embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view longitudinally through the mower taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the use of agricultural implements such as mowing machines, it is often desirable to hitch a train of mowers to a traction engine, using the mower tongues as the means of connection, each mower being ofl'set laterally from the preceding one, and it is necessary that the mowers be steered individually, which is done by employing separate operable means for swinging the tongues to vary the direction of travel of the mowers relatively to their tongues.

My improvements which are to effect this result comprise an adjustable means anchored to the mower frame by a pivotal mounting and connected to a lateral extension from the tongue, whereby upon adjustment of said means by the operator the tongue may be swung laterally; and since theouter end of the tongue is connected to the tractor or other implement, the tongue will efiect lateral movement of the mower.

The mowing machine in which I have illustrated my improvements comprises: a frame 3 carried by wheels 4, a seat 5 carried by the frame, the cutter-bar 6, a bracket 7 bolted to the frontend of the frame and having a yoked end 8, the arms of which carry a vertical pivot-bar 9, and a tongue 10 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Serial No. 811,373.

having its rear end pivotally mounted on said pivot-pin 9.

A bracket 11 'is rotatably mounted or swiveled on a vertically disposed axis at one side of the tongue mounting, the aXis being a bolt 12 which also serves to maintain the said bracket in operable position. The rear end portion of the tongue has a lateral fixed extension or arm 13 which forms with the tongue a bell-crank structure; and a rod 1 1 is pivotally connected at one end to the outer end of said arm 13 and has its opposite end portion screw-threaded and slid-ably mounted in an aperture 15 through bracket 11; thus when the said rod is'moved lengthwise it swings the tongue laterally upon its pivot 9. 'A bevel-gear 16 threaded upon the screwthreaded end of rod 14:, is held from move ment, lengthwise thereof by abutting opposite shoulders "17 of the bracket 11, and said gear-wheel is adapted to be rotated to move the rod 14 lengthwise by a bevel-gear 18 which is keyed to a shaft 19 journaled in bearings 20 of the bracket 11, the shaft extending to within reach of an operator on seat 5 and having a crank handle 21 fixed to its outer end.

When the mower is being drawn during operation by a tractor or other implement, the front end of the pole is connected to the implement (not shown), the operable parts of the mower being as shown in Fig. 1 in full lines. When it is desired to alter the course of the mower the operator will turn crank 21 in the desired direction, thus rotating gear 16 which in turn will feed the rod 14; lengthwise and swing the tongue rela' tive to the mower frame, causing the mower to move laterally; and since the pivoted end of rod 14 swings in an arc of which pivot 9 is the center, the bracket 11 will be turned on its pivot 12 by said swinging movement of" the rod. The tongue can be adjusted to a straight draft position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the mower is to be drawn by horses.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a vehicle frame, of a tonguepivoted to the frame to swing laterally with respect thereto, said tongue being provided with a lateral extension, a member pivoted to said lateral extension and connected to the frame by a screw and nut connection swiveled on the frame soasto be movable with respect thereto to permit lateral swingingmovement of said member, and means for rotating one of the members of said connection.

2. In a vehicle provided with alaterally movable tongue, a member having a screw and nut connection with the vehicle frame, means for rotating one of the members of said connection to move said member longitudinally, and a connection between the forward end of said member and the tongue for moving the tongue laterally upon longitudinal movement of said member, said screw and nut connection being swiveled on the frame to permit the forward end of said member to swing laterally with the tongue. T r

3. Means for swinging the tongue of a vehicle lateral-1y relative to the vehicle frame comprising, a bracket rotatably mounted on the frame on a vertically disposed axis, a screw-threaded member movable lengthwise of its axis on saidbracket, a nut 'member' mounted on said screwthreaded member and held from axial dis, placement, a connection between said screwthreaded member and the tongue for swinging the tongue laterally through lengthwise movement of the screw-threaded member, and means carried by thebracket for rotating said nut member. i w

4. In means for swinging the tongue of 'a vehicle laterally with respect to the vehicle frame, the combination of a bracket swiveled on the frame, a member adjustably mounted onthe'bracket soas to move with respect thereto in the direction of the/line of draft, said member being connected with the tongue for efi ecting lateral movement thereof by said adjusting movement, and means for adjusting said member. i

5. In means for swinging the tongue of a vehicle laterally with respect. to the vehicle frame, the combination of a pivoted bracket, means connected to the tongue and connected movably to the bracket forv normally lateral movement but adapted to be moved with respect to the bracketto swing the maintaining the tongue against tongue laterally, the bracket being pivotally movable to permit said means to swing laterally with the. tongue, and means carried by said bracket and connected. with said movable means for moving the same to swing the tongue laterally.

'6. In means for swinging the tongue of a vehicle laterally with respect to the vehicle frame, the combination of afbracket swiveled on the frame,-a member mounted in thebracket so asto be adjustablewith relspectthereto in the direction of the line of draft, said member being connected with the tongue for effecting lateral movement fm oving the same in'the direction of the line of draft.

7. The combination with a vehicle having a pivoted tongue capable of lateral swinging movement with respect to the vehicle, of an arm fixedly connected to and extending laterally from the tongue, a member pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm, means including a nut threaded on said member whereby said member is connected to the vehicle frame, swivel bracket in which said nut is mounted, and means for rotating the nut to impart longitudinal movement to said member. V 8. The'combination with a vehicle having a pivoted tongue capable of being swung laterally with respect tothe frame of the vehicle, of an armlfixedly connected to and extending laterally from the tongue, a rodpivotally connected at its forward end tot-he outer end of said arm and having its rear end screw-threaded, a nut-member mounted on the rear end of the screwthreaded portion of said rod and-held from axial movement, said nut member" having a bevel-gear connected therewith, a's'ec ond bevel-gear meshing with the first named bevel-gear, and means for-rotating said second bevel gear whereby the tongue will be swung laterally. 7 i

9'. In an agricultural implement,atongue a. fixed, point-thereon bymeans of a piv-' it otally mounted screw and 'nut connection,

means for holding said nut from axial movement, and means operable'from the implement for rotating said nut. to move the member lengthwise. and thereby swing the tongue laterally, the forward end of said member being movable laterally during its lengthwise movement in accordance with 7-1 the lateral movement of the tongue.

Intestimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. r i

LEwIs E. WATERMAN. Witnesses: V

JoHN F. MoCANNA, EQ'D. E. ;N. 'BEHEL.

,Gopie: rotsthisi patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressizigthe Commissioner of Patents, V i r 'Washing'MmD-GPJ V I I I V 

